Benzema, Messi, Mbappe vying for FIFA POTY award; Mead on women's shortlist

Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi, and prolific French scorer Kylian Mbappe were named nominees for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award Friday.

They emerged as finalists from an initial 14-player shortlist as selected by national team coaches, captains, players, and international journalists.

Benzema took home the Ballon d’Or in October after scoring 44 goals in 46 appearances for Real Madrid last season. Two months later, Messi won the World Cup with Argentina, defeating Mbappe’s France in the final.

Additionally, England’s Beth Mead, the United States’ Alex Morgan, and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas made the shortlist for the Best FIFA Women’s Player award.

Mead helped England win Women’s Euro 2022 with six goals and five assists in the tournament. Morgan starred for the U.S. at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, finishing as the joint-top scorer. Spain’s Putellas missed Euro 2022 as a result of an ACL injury.

Benzema missed the entire World Cup because of a thigh injury and has struggled for consistency this season, often sitting out multiple games at a time. Madrid are currently eight points behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings.

Messi’s form has improved dramatically since he joined Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021: The 35-year-old has recorded 15 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the French club this season.

Mbappe has largely played second fiddle to Messi despite producing outrageous numbers of his own. Scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup final, the 24-year-old almost single-handedly won France a third star, but Messi’s Argentina prevailed on penalties. Mbappe still claimed the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals and two assists in seven matches.